During the monsoon months, not all but most of the national parks in India close their doors to wildlife enthusiasts, mainly because of overflowing rivers and lakes, and water logging problems. As the rainy season has bid goodbye, the Indian national parks are now all set to welcome their human friends for activities like wildlife viewing, bird watching, and more. The following are the speculative opening dates of national parks in India.

Corbett National Park

Opening Date – 1st October 2026

Asia’s first National Park; Jim Corbett National Park is located in the Ramgarh District of Uttarakhand and is one of the best national parks in India. This game reserve is home to the endangered Royal Bengal tigers as well as various species of mammals that include leopards, barking deer, Himalayan black bears, chintals, leopard cats Indian elephants, etc. More than 586 species of avifauna have also been regarded in Jim Corbett National Park.

How to Reach Corbett National Park

By Air

Corbett does not have an airport. The nearest airport is Dehra Dun Airport (110 km away) Indira Gandhi International Airport New Delhi (182 km away).

By Rail

Instead of Corbett, one could get a train to Gaushala on a regular basis from where the park is located just 34 km away. Yet another nearest railhead is located 34 kilometers away at Kotdwar.

By Road

Buses don’t ply to Corbett directly from any major cities. The nearest bus stand is Dhumakot located 34 km away and the other one is Kotdwara located 35 km away.

Kanha National Park

Opening Date – 15th October 2026

Kanha National Park is where Rudyard Kipling is said to have got the inspiration to write his famous Jungle Book. Kanha is one of the finest national parks in India where there is a good probability of spotting the tiger in their natural habitat. The opening date of this national park is the 16th of October this year. Earlier, it used to open on the 01st of October every year.

How to Reach Kanha National Park

By Air

There are daily flights from Delhi and Mumbai to Jabalpur (3-4 hours), Nagpur (6 hours), and Raipur (5 hours) by Spice Jet, Air India, and Jet Airways. Road transfers can be organized from the airports.

One can reach Kanha National Park by a private charter plane. There is a small airstrip available near Kanha in the Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh State which is about 100 km. away from Kanha National Park – Mukki entrance gate and about 140kms from Kanha Kisli/Khatia gate.

By Rail

The nearest railheads are located in Jabalpur(3 hours), Nagpur (5 hours), and Gondia (3 hours) which are well-served by Indian railways from all parts of the country.

By Road

The nearest cities to Kanha National Park are Jabalpur, Raipur, and Nagpur. Jabalpur & Nagpur is on National Highway-7 which connects Varanasi to Kanyakumari. Anyone can reach Kanha from these cities by surface transfer. Among them, Jabalpur is the closest to Kanha Tiger Reserve i.e., about 165 km. and road conditions are also favourable.

Bandhavgarh National Park

Opening Date – 15 October 2026

As opposed to the earlier directive of the forest department, the opening dates of the national parks in Madhya Pradesh have been postponed from the normal date which used to be the 01st of October to the 15th of October. The delay in the opening date of this national park and others in the state has been in effect to boost tourism as well as to provide more buffer time for animals residing in the park.

Bandhavgarh National Park is considered to be the finest of all National Parks in India when it comes to chances of sighting the Bengal tigers in their natural habitat. Once this reserve used to be the only home to White Tigers but sadly they are extinct now. Jeep safaris as well as elephant safaris are available in this national park.

How to Reach Bandhavgarh National Park

By Air

The nearest airports to reach Bandhavgarh are located in Khajuraho (270 km) and Jabalpur (190 km)

By Rail

Katni junction (95kms) is the nearest railway station from where its a 2.5 hours ride to this national park

By Road

Bandhavgarh National Park is well connected with Kanha & Panna National Park and allows easy access from major towns like Jabalpur, Satna, Khajuraho, and Rewa.

• Delhi – 880 Kms (approx. 21 hours)
• Khajuraho – 280 Kms (approx. 6 hours)
• Satna – 112 Kms (approx. 4 hours)
• Katni – 95 Kms (approx. 2 hours)
• Kanha National Park – 240 Kms (approx. 6 hours)
• Jabalpur – 220 Kms (approx. 4 hours)
• Varanasi – 475 Kms (approx. 9 hours)
• Allahabad – 345 Kms (approx. 7 hours)
• Rewa – 225 Kms (approx. 4 hours)
• Umaria – 34 Kms (approx. 1 hour)

Ranthambore National Park

Opening Date – 1 October, 2026

Yet another of the popular national parks in India is Ranthambore National Park located in Sawai Madhopur district in Rajasthan. Formerly the royal hunting ground of the maharajas of Amer, the park is now a protected area with home to several species of plants, mammals, and reptiles. As with other game reserves, tigers happen to be the major tourist draw.

How to Reach Ranthambore National Park

By Air

The nearest airport is in Jaipur, which is only a four-hour drive away from Ranthambore. Jaipur is an important domestic airport linked to major cities like Delhi, and Mumbai.

By Road

The nearest railway station from Ranthambore is Sawai Madhopur. Many important trains service these stations connecting Sawai Madhopur to cities like Jaipur, Delhi, and Mumbai

By Rail

The nearest township of Sawai Madhopur is only 15 km away from Ranthambore.  Sawai Madopur is well connected with cities like Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra, and regular buses and private taxis ply between these places.

Some of the other major national parks in India opening dates 2026 are:

• Panna National Park – 16 October
• Pench National Park – 16 October
• Kaziranga National Park – 01 November
• Hazaribagh National Park – 1 October
• Sanjay National Park– 1 October
• Keibul Lam Jao National Park –1 October
• Nokrek National Park – 1 October
• Satpura National Park– 1 October
• Marine National Park – 15 October
• Namdapha National Park – 01 November
• Blackbuck National Park – 15 October
• Jaldapara National Park – 15 September

Please take note that as the Great Himalayan National Park is placed at high altitudes, it remains open for tourists between May and October. Because of being inaccessible due to snowfall, the park is closed between November and April.

[Check out here recommended wildlife tour packages for Indian national parks and wildlife sanctuaries]